Miss America

I watch this every few years. Tonight I caught it somewhere near the middle. I realized several things:

o To me, the contestants always look pretty much alike. They never look their age, which is somewhere around 18 or 20. Their elaborate makeup and hair make them look almost matronly. They usually sound similar, too, except for the minor difference that some of them come from the South and have Southern accents.

o I find most of the gowns just fancy, like Barbie dresses, but there are always one or two that stand out. This year, it was I think Miss Oklahoma whose gown appealed to me the most. It was a smoky dark silver, with elements of Grecian draping.

o I always like the talent part best. I think my favorite talents are tap dancing and baton twirling, those two quintessentially American art forms. This evening, there was one wonderful baton twirler, who (except for one error) was wonderful, with three batons on the move and all sorts of interesting twirls and throws. Modern baton twirling seems to take a lot from rhythmic gymnastics, which I also love. There were three tap dancers. I think the one who appealed to me the least (rather stiff torso and very slow turns) was the winner. One of them, I think Miss Oklahoma again, was phenomenal, with a lot of work on point and with taps so fast she could have done flamenco. One other talent performer I enjoyed was Miss South Carolina, who played a great rapid piano version of a Jackson Five song. The singers seemed to be the most anxious; most of them couldn't find their pitch. One girl sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Mis. Alas,when it comes to this song, we have so many showstopping singers to compare her to nowadays. She's no Anne Hathaway, and she's certainly no Susan Boyle. In fact, this contestant made me realize yet again how astonishing Susan Boyle was in her first audition. It's so easy to tighten up and let nerves overpower one's voice when singing before a large audience. Susan Boyle was so loose and easy as she sang that day; she seems to have such a wonderful sense of pitch.

It's interesting watching this from time to time. Did anyone else see it?

I did...it is very rushed. The long hair look is only acceptable one. Hollywood cookie cutter blonds are the "ideal" woman after boob jobs, nose job, veneers and workouts. beauty has become a very expensive thing most women or men can buy. Barbie became our ideal, but only in socal is it with total desperation. we have lost much of our gains going back 4 decades. Women wake up!

I am with you, skateluvr. My wife doesnt wear makeup, heals, pantyhose, and has never had her hair done. We live in a society that promotes boob jobs by doctors who should be doing reconstructive surgury for women with cancer. Miss America should be much more like the muslim girl that took the bullet so girls could be educated.....I stopped watching the contest years ago....do I like to look at pretty women? Sure I do. Just call the contest what it is...a meat market.
Chris who wonders what every happened to the equal rights ammendment.

Originally Posted by skateluvr

I did...it is very rushed. The long hair look is only acceptable one. Hollywood cookie cutter blonds are the "ideal" woman after boob jobs, nose job, veneers and workouts. beauty has become a very expensive thing most women or men can buy. Barbie became our ideal, but only in socal is it with total desperation. we have lost much of our gains going back 4 decades. Women wake up!

I am with you, skateluvr. My wife doesnt wear makeup, heals, pantyhose, and has never had her hair done. We live in a society that promotes boob jobs by doctors who should be doing reconstructive surgury for women with cancer. Miss America should be much more like the muslim girl that took the bullet so girls could be educated.....I stopped watching the contest years ago....do I like to look at pretty women? Sure I do. Just call the contest what it is...a meat market.
Chris who wonders what every happened to the equal rights ammendment.

It's alive and well in my neck of the woods, Chris! And in yours too, I see. I'm a city slicker, and I never wear heels. Couldn't walk in them.

That manufactured perfection that nobody except Heidi Klum can attain makes most of us feel like failures just for using up oxygen in the world. It takes a lot of effort to overcome that script in your head.

Had an interesting discussion about all of this with a long time friend who retired as the head of the Boise High English Dept. At one time, local culture drove what was taught to us youngin's as to what was right and wrong and what we should do, not do,and look like. With the advent of the modern media explosion in the 20th century, especially electronic media, that has all changed. Marketing drives media and if marketing decided that all of us should go out and buy rubber dog doo doo and wear it on our heads, they could well do it. I first believed that (and the dumbing down of the population,) when I was talking to a father who was in a bit of a financial bind. I said why didnt he make his kids wear $10 jeans like I wore, instead of demanding $50 and up designer jeans? He said they wouldnt wear them.....it seems parents are letting the media raise and control thier children..... I wonder how many true cases of anerexia there were before Barbie? Good for you, Olympia! My sister in law has crippled feet cause the bank where she put in her carrerr demanded high heels....dress code, don't you know.
Here is my 60 year old wife not in heels and makeuphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQK08I50cS4

Originally Posted by Olympia

It's alive and well in my neck of the woods, Chris! And in yours too, I see. I'm a city slicker, and I never wear heels. Couldn't walk in them.

That manufactured perfection that nobody except Heidi Klum can attain makes most of us feel like failures just for using up oxygen in the world. It takes a lot of effort to overcome that script in your head.

Rant alert (and not aimed at you, Olympia.) Actually, I dont have cable....no time for tv anyway but the Westminister is kind of sad to me.....can you take seven Malinois and say that one meets the breed standard more than the others? Yes, I think you can, if you are an expert on malinois. Now can you take all the top dogs from the herding group and say that this malinois is a better meeter of breed standards than, say, this Border Collie is to its, plus all the other herding group top dogs???? Well, that would be extreamly difficult to do, but I will tell you this. NO JUDGE alone can take winners from all the groups, claim to be an expert on all the breeds, and say who the top dog is.....that is just silly. I defy you to take 100 judges to look over the top group winners and expect them to remotely agree.Rant alert over! (but I will say this... choosing Miss America is tough enough, and that is just one breed!!!!! Would you like to compare her to Mrs. America, Mr. America, Nobel prize winners, etc? You cant. Apples and oranges.)

Originally Posted by Olympia

I guess you're ready to watch the Westminster show on TV this week. If you do, enjoy!

I love your metaphor for the dog show! (Choosing from among Miss America, Mrs. America, Mr. America, Nobel Prize winners...) I don't know much about dogs or dog shows; I just like to see all the dogs. As you say, I can't imagine choosing between, say, an Irish wolfhound and a Pekingese. But that seems to be the procedure in both dog shows and cat shows. I've been to one cat show, and they do the "best" evaluations there, too. They don't make the cats demonstrate obedience, though. They'd never have any winners at all!

I don't have cable, either, and didn't want to download an app to watch, but I followed the facebook updates and the many vids posted on the WKC sites. Agree no judge can be an expert on all breeds, and agree that the politicking in conformation dog shows is alive and well IMO.

Sadly, politics are most of it...that is why people pay big money for "Special" handlers. And people accuse skating of being fake.....I do think people watch for fun and there is nothing wrong with that. But I just wish the announcers would put some reality into this. The "Judge" isnt picking the best dog...the judge is picking the dog that best represents its breed over all the other dogs representing theirs. Cant be done. Apples and oranges. But they do it anyway. Sigh. I say make them all do an obediance course at the end and let that pick the winner.

Originally Posted by rallycairn

I don't have cable, either, and didn't want to download an app to watch, but I followed the facebook updates and the many vids posted on the WKC sites. Agree no judge can be an expert on all breeds, and agree that the politicking in conformation dog shows is alive and well IMO.